Step #5: Evaluate what you can and should take responsibility for
If learned helplessness has been a prominent feature in your life, evaluating where you should take responsibility is a life-changing step. This may require the help of a pastor or counselor.
Even if you don’t have immediate access to a counseling setting, you can start today by asking yourself some questions:
- Is there anything I have developed a “helpless response” to?
- Is there a path out that I’m not seeing or that I’m unwilling to take? (Remember, there almost always is something we can improve, even if it is “just” improving our attitude.)
- Where might God be calling me to greater responsibility in that?
- Where might God be revealing that some things are the other person’s responsibility?
For example, let’s say you have a toxic boss. You are not responsible for the fact that your boss is toxic, but you are responsible for how you respond. Feeling “stuck,” getting passive-aggressive, and slow-walking projects isn’t a healthy response that will move you forward. Brainstorm with a friend or counselor all the different things you can do – without defaulting to saying “that won’t work.” Find something that will work.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In